Animals are reliable, many full of love, true in their affections, predictable in their actions, grateful and loyal. Difficult standards for people to live up to.

Monthly Archives: June 2017

Parrots can have many different types of eye problems; this article will describe some of the real threats to your Parrots.

A) Conjunctivitis – Is caused by a bacterial infection in the lungs associated with environmental factors (dust, drafty housing, and irritating fumes), nutritional deficiencies (vitamin A is often cited, although no specific experimental evidence support this view) or trauma and can be associated to ulcerative keratitis. Conjunctivitis is fairly easy to notice with a crusting of the eyes normally accompanied by red a swollen tissue beginning at the eye lid. An avian vet would diagnose and would normally treat this condition using antibiotics.

B) Avian Pox – A viral infection often having similar symptoms of Conjunctivitis although it is common to be accompanied by swollen, blistering formations on the eye lid.

C) Marek’s Disease – Is in a group of herpes viruses and most deadly although a vaccine (Zovirax, normally used for chicken pox in Humans)can be helpful to eliminate the spread of Marek’s disease it is usually too late to save the infected bird. There are 4 types of Marek’s (Cutaneous (skin form), Neural (nerve form),Visceral (internal-organ form),and the Ocular (Eye form). The Visceral (internal Organ Form) type is most commonly found in chickens, but can spread very quickly to other birds(Parrots). This Disease is normally spread through dander and close contact.

D) Uveitis – Is the inflammation of the eye and can be an indicator of much more serious internal problems. Trauma, penetrating injury, systemic disease, autoimmune condition, and mycosis, bacterial or viral disorders are causes of uveitis in birds.

E) Cataracts – Several causes for cataracts including poor diet (low vitamin e) this has also been associated with long term exposure to artificial light, senescence, trauma, developmental abnormalities, genetic disorders, nutritional deficiency, radiation, UV radiation and inflammatory factors. The good news is an operation to remove the cataracts known as Lensectomy by needle discision and aspiration, and conventional extra capsular extraction or ultrasonic phacoemulsification can be successful in birds.

African Grey parrots are extremely famous birds and these birds are widely kept as pets. Breeding African grey parrots is a process that helps the bird keepers to increase their pet bird family without buying these precious birds from market. People want to know that how they could breed African grey parrots? Successfully breeding African grey parrots needs care at so many levels and a careful bird keeper is capable of providing the comfort and environment required.

Careful Selection of Pair

The important thing about breeding of African gray parrots includes the selection of a healthy couple for breeding purpose. Sometimes the birds kept together since their early days create a very strong bond and breeding these birds is very easy. Those people who buy a pair of birds from the market need to be sure about the gender of both birds. Sometimes a wrong pairing leads to confusions and later on, it is revealed that the selected birds are either both male or female.

Caging of Birds

The birds are far happier in the wild when they are capable of flying free. In the cage, the birds often do not live with that charm or excitement. It is responsibility of the bird keepers to provide a very suitable cage for birds. The cage should not be highly confined that does not allow the wings flapping and minor flying. It is basic right of the African grey birds to be able to stay in a cage which provides all the needs.

The placement of cage is also very important. A happy bird would more likely to sing, interact and breed. The cage should be placed at a place which provides a view, sunlight and fresh air. The extremities of climates should be avoided by keeping the grey parrots warm or cold accordingly.

A Healthy Diet

The happy and healthy birds would breed faster. Diet plays an important role here. Therefore, the African greys should be provided with a suitable food to make them physically capable of reproducing in the best way possible. Mixed fruits, seeds and parrot palette food available commercially, are best for these birds.

Eggs and Hatching

The female bird once lays eggs, sits on them for a period of three weeks approximately. This period is important because the eggs should not be moved or touched by anyone else. Secondly, the bird should be provided with extra comfort and food to support her physical health. The eggs hatch after six to seven weeks and during this time, the care is required to keep the cage’s temperature balanced. The newborn chicks could not bear the low temperatures. It is good to provide them with warmth

Birds are clever animals and are good companion pets. They can be taught easily with the right training preparation and techniques. Being able to teach a pet a new trick is a very rewarding experience for its owner. Training animals will not just make them smarter. It is also a good ground to build a trusting relationship with them and to eventually understand them better.

To teach your pet to step on your finger, you may use the command “step-up”. What you need to do is to position your finger against the lower breast of your bird, a litter higher than its feet. Talk with it through your magic words and persuade it to step on your finger. When it obeys, you can reward it with praises or treats. You can say “good job”. Repeat the stepping-up trick and the verbal commands until your bird has the interest. But make sure to end it when it starts to show boredom cues.

Teaching birds what not to bite is also a useful trick. You can use a biting stick to teach your bird what is appropriate to bite and what is not. Chopsticks can be used as biting sticks. Position the stick within the bird’s reach and encourage it to bite. When the bird obeys, praise it and give it some treats. This will give your bird the idea that only the biting stick is allowed to be bitten. Veterinary approved deterrent called bitter apple spray can also be used to safeguard your furniture from your pet’s biting tendencies. You just have to spray it to the things that you do not want to be bitten by your pet. Training pets requires a lot of patience and commitment. Start with the most basic and progress to more complex ones as time goes by. Mutual trust and respect is built between the owner and the pet along the training sessions. Rewarding them with their favorite treats from time to time will help you to motivate them and win their focus.

First of all, if you have just one bird, you have to get him a mirror. While a lone bird won’t feel bored in your company, a mirror can help him feel happier, especially when you are not around. Aside from a mirror, you can also buy your parakeet a good bird stand-in from a good pet store. Ideally, you should get him another bird for company.

2. Give him different types of food

Here it’s important to keep in mind that simple birdseed tend to get old quickly. On pet stores, you can find a variety of birdie treats, such as clip-on sticks, birdie biscuits and millet sprays, just to name a few. As a special treat, you can also serve your parakeets fresh fruits.

3. Parakeets Love Playing With Toys

Basically, parakeets love to play. You can choose from lots of toy options for your bird, such as wings, rings, bells and beads, to name a few. Aside from these, parakeets are attracted by shiny stuff, especially toys that make lots of noise or the things that they can move here and there with their feet or beaks.

4. Develop Trust With Your Bird

It may take a while for you to build trust with your pet. Basically, these birds are shy at first, but they get familiar with new owners in a few days. To build trust, you may want to put your finger before your bird for a few seconds on a daily basis. Doing this for a few days will give time to the bird to build courage to hope on your finger.

5. Never Reach Your Hand to Grab Your Bird

Your bird will get the most terrified if you move your hand to grab him. As a matter of fact, it’s the fastest way to evaporate the trust between you and the bird. In the beginning, the bird may cause frustration to you, as he won’t have the courage to sit on your hand. However, that doesn’t you should grab him and make him sit on your finger or hand.

6. They Should Get Exercise

You don’t have to take your bird out of the cage to let him get some exercise. However, if you have enough room in your home, you can take him out on a regular basis so he can fly around and have a great time. Make sure you close all the doors and windows before opening up the cage door.